Advanced Materials Research Vol. 279

Abstract: This paper describes a vision-based flexible vibratory feeding system (VBFVFS) for agile manufacturing, which mainly consists of a decupled vibratory feeder, a machine vision system, displacement sensors, power amplifiers and a computer system. Its major feeding parameters such as the vibration angle, frequency, acceleration amplitude, and phase difference all can be easily adjusted online by software means. Consequently, the system not only can feed a wide range of parts without any retooling of the feeder, but also can feed various parts made of different material in a way close to the optimal state. The VBFVFS also has intelligence. It can find out the natural frequencies of the decoupled vibratory feeder by means of automatic frequency response analysis and hence determine the best frequency for the driving signals. It can also find out any parts jamming and eliminate it by making the parts move in reverse directions. Prototypes of the decoupled vibratory feeder have been successfully developed. Experimental investigation is carried out based on the prototypes and the results agree well with the simulation results. Moreover low-cost vision technique is also discussed for the commercialization of the vision-based flexible vibratory feeding system.

Abstract: Manufacturing resources sharing is a strong support for the development of SMEs. By analyzing the development and current situation of SMEs, the function, architecture and the function model of the manufacturing resources sharing platform supporting SMEs are analyzed and established. The key technologies of the platform are discussed, such as the definition, classification, the information model, integration and the security management of the sharing manufacturing resources. The platform provides a strong support for the survival and development of the SMEs.

Abstract: In the networked control systems, control performance and network performance are closely related to the sampling period influenced by the network-induced delay. So in order to improve the network performance by adjusting the current sampling period, a period-vary sampling scheme is proposed based on an adjuster for the sampling period designed. In this scheme, the adjuster consists of a monitor, which acquires network resources utilization and the executive time of data packet, and a predictor, which uses BP neural network to predict the next sampling period by utilizing network resources utilization and data packet executive time. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can alleviate the influence of time delay and improve the performance of the networked control systems.

Abstract: The effect of sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) on the electrochemical behaviour of Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox couple was studied using voltammetry at stationary electrode and rotating disc electrode (RDE). When the SSA was added to the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ electrolyte there was change to the peak current and peak potential, i.e. the increase of peak current and the decrease of peak potential difference. The diffusion coefficient of Ce³⁺ is 6.5 × 10^-6 cm² s^-1 and the standard rate constant of the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox reaction is 3.2 × 10^-4 cm s^-1 in the presence of SSA, which are all larger than that in the absence of SSA (3.6 × 10^-6 cm² s^-1, 2.0 × 10^-4 cm s^-1). Therefore, the SSA as the additive in the supporting electrolyte for a cerium redox flow battery (RFB) application will result in a high voltage efficiency and will satisfy an important requirement for a RFB electrolyte.

Abstract: In recent years, the chaos based cryptographic algorithms have suggested some new and efficient ways to develop secure image encryption techniques. In this paper, the sequence was generated using chaotic system, combined with high efficiency and better security in transform domain. An image encryption method based on Tent chaotic map in DCT domain was proposed. The simulation results show that this method has characteristics such as high efficiency and good safety, and has a certain practicality and objectivity.